Son of the Viper
by savya398
Summary: Harry thought after the defeat of Voldemort he would finally get some peace and quiet. Of course just like every other situation in his life, he would be wrong.
1. The Past

**So I've also posted this under my Stories for Adoption fic but I hoped that posting it here would also get it a little more attention for someone to adopt it.**

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 **Chapter 1: The Past Can't be Rewritten**

Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Man-Who-Conquered, the Defeater of Voldemort could finally relax with the defeat of his great nemesis. And relax he had.

Until he got bored.

He'd tried doing nothing for an entire week before he was climbing the walls with sheer boredom. All of his life he'd constantly had to be on his guard. Even before he'd found out he was a wizard his life at the Dursleys had kept him on his toes. Between the constant bullying by Dudley and his friends, and the mountain of chores his aunt made him do. His life had only gotten crazier and more hectic when he started going to Hogwarts. The next seven years he was constantly doing something. It seemed like he hardly had a moment to himself to think or relax without some plot of Voldemort's harassing him.

He didn't really know what it meant to relax.

His best friends Hermione and Ron had gone to Australia in search of Hermione's parents while he had stayed behind. Then the two of them had decided to stay for the summer to tour the country to get some time alone.

Harry hadn't minded the separation from his two best friends. He knew he would have to distance himself from them eventually anyway. It was probably better to do it sooner rather than later before he became a third wheel. Ron and Hermione were in love, and he knew that one day they would get married. The three of them would always be friends but they needed time by themselves to get to know one another as a couple.

Harry was rather enjoying his alone time. He may have been bored with the lack of turmoil in his life but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy his solitude. He liked being alone he just also liked having some task to occupy his time. Since the defeat of Voldemort Harry couldn't leave Grimmauld Place without getting mobbed. He liked his time away from everyone. It had given him time to think.

He was drastically reconsidering his future, and what he wanted to do with it. That had included breaking up with Ginny Weasley, not that they were ever officially together. Of course it was less of a break up and more a mutual agreement that they were much better as friends.

The war with Voldemort had changed both of them, and after the initial relief at seeing one another again they both realized that there would never be anything more than a brief attraction for one another. Guiltily, Harry recognized that he had been interested in Ginny because he'd wanted to legitimately be a part of the Weasley's family. He was just glad that he had realized the truth before he did something as stupid as marry someone he loved like a friend.

He'd taken to reading some of the books in the Black library. However, he still was no bookworm like Hermione, and the books didn't really help distract him. He took to dueling practice, and flying his broom. He couldn't wait for the summer to be over. He still wasn't sure what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Whether he wanted to start Auror training, join a Quidditch team, or go back to Hogwarts with Hermione. Or maybe he didn't want to do any of those things.

The point was that Harry was just getting comfortable with getting to know himself, and his life without Voldemort when everything had to turn itself upside down once more.

"Happy Birthday, Master Harry," Kreacher greeted.

The old house elf had resigned himself to being under Harry's command. While he no longer hated Harry, he would still never be one hundred percent enthused about serving someone who wasn't a pureblood. At the very least Kreacher was loyal to him now.

"Thank you, Kreacher," he smiled at the house elf as Kreacher placed a plate of blueberry pancakes in front of him.

He was half way through his very delicious breakfast when the owls arrived. One was from the Weasleys asking him to come over for dinner to celebrate his birthday. The others were from various well-wishers who barely knew him but wanted to thank him for defeating Voldemort. The last to arrive was a large black owl carrying a thick letter with a Gringott's emblem on it.

It was a letter that Harry was both expecting and dreading. He knew he would eventually have to face the goblins after what he'd done to the bank when he'd been trying to get the Horcrux.

He reluctantly took the letter, and opened it. The goblin's words were short and to the point. They were requesting his presence at the bank this afternoon.

"Of course when they say request they're actually demanding," Harry muttered as he penned his agreement to the meeting.

He spent the rest of the morning puttering about Grimmauld Place. He spent some time practicing his dueling techniques. Then reluctantly, he dressed himself in some decent robes, and stepped out of Grimmauld Place. Harry twisted on his heel, and apparated just outside of the Leaky Cauldron. He pulled up the hood of his cloak, and kept his face down as he made his way through Diagon Alley towards Gringotts.

Luckily he managed to reach the bank without worrying about being mobbed by people wanting to thank him for defeating Voldemort.

The bank already looked like it was completely repaired from Harry's breakout. The lobby was undamaged as well. Harry went up to the nearest free counter to let them know that he was there.

He wasn't all too surprised to be brought to a back office where the manager of the bank, Ragnok, was waiting for him.

"Mr. Potter it is a pleasure to see you," Ragnok greeted him, his black beady eyes locked on him.

"Ragnok," Harry nodded.

"I believe that we have some things we need to discuss," Ragnok smirked.

"About the whole stealing from Gringotts while riding on a dragon, and destroying the bank thing?" Harry questioned.

"Exactly. It has been decided because of the nature of the object within the Lestrange vault that you will be excused from being persecuted for stealing from it. If you had not done what you had then we would still be under the rule of an insane Dark Lord, and we owe our gratitude to you for that," Ragnok intoned.

"That's great, I'm grateful I won't be hauled off to Azkaban. Even without the dementors it's not a place I'm all that keen on visiting. But I'm sure there's a bit more to it than that," Harry observed.

Harry would never blindly trust the goblins again. They were crafty buggers, and Harry was going to keep himself on his guard with them. He also knew how greedy they were. They must want something for him for causing the damage that he had to their bank.

"We only ask that you pay for the damages," Ragnok smirked.

Harry had quite a bit of gold now that he had access to both the Black and Potter vaults but it certainly wasn't endless.

"How much is it going to cost?" Harry sighed.

Ragnok grinned, showing off pointed teeth, and pulled out a parchment with billing information. Harry read the list over carefully. While it wasn't an exorbitant amount it wasn't exactly small either. They haggled a bit over the prices of certain things, and the necessity of buying such expensive materials. In the end they met in the middle. Harry was just proud of himself for speaking up on his own, and being able to lower the price.

Once they signed the contract over the payment, Harry thought he would be free to go.

"Mr. Potter, before you go there is one more thing," Ragnok pulled out a small journal with an envelope on top, and handed them to him.

"What's this?" Harry frowned as he noted his name on the envelope.

"This was entrusted to us by your mother, Lily Potter, in the event of her death. It was to be given to you on your eighteenth birthday," Ragnok explained.

Harry felt a rush of an excitement flow through him. He couldn't wait to read whatever it was his mum had written to him. There was an entire journal here with his mum's thoughts.

"Thank you," Harry nodded.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter. We're just glad that everything between Gringotts and yourself is settled," Ragnok inclined his head.

Harry left Gringotts and Diagon Alley in much the same way he had arrived. With no one the wiser. He was eager to get back to the solitude of Grimmauld Place to read the letter his mum had left him.

Kreacher greeted him at the door, and Harry asked for some tea and something to eat while he settled down in the living room. Grimmauld Place was a much brighter and more comfortable place these days. Harry had Kreacher give the place a complete makeover once he settled in permanently.

He opened the envelope with his name on it first. He smiled at seeing his mother's handwriting. He savored it for it was the only birthday letter he had ever received from her or would ever receive from her.

It started with ' _My Dear Harry,'_ and Harry read every single word, no matter how much they confused him.

 _My Dear Harry,_

 _My sweet boy, I write you this letter and leave you my journal of my adventures in the event that something happens to James and I. I certainly hope that you never read this letter but I must also be realistic. This war with Voldemort is dangerous, and grows ever more dangerous as the days pass. We are prime targets especially now with the prophecy that Voldemort believes is about you._

 _My hope is you never know anything about the prophecy, or Voldemort, however things don't always happen as you wish them to. I know there is a great risk that something might happen to us before you will ever be told the truth._

 _If it does come to pass, if James and I are to lose our lives, there is something that you need to know. Something that I waited to tell you until you were older, and done with Hogwarts. I didn't want this knowledge to distract you or hurt you unnecessarily. I wish I was there to personally deliver this news to you but if you are reading this letter than I am gone, and unable to do so. My only conciliation about not being there is knowing that no matter what I will have ensured that you survived._

 _After you read my journal just know that your dad and I both love you with all our hearts. I'm sure I would be more than proud of the man that you have become._

 _Love,_

 _Your Mum_

The letter left him uncertain. He couldn't imagine what was so important for her to tell him, to have waited for so many years. It took up an entire journal's worth of information so it must have been quite a lot.

Harry didn't waste any time. He flipped to the first page of the journal and began to read.

His mum started the journal after her own graduation from Hogwarts she had wanted to explore different wizarding cultures, and different types of magic. She and his dad had agreed to separate from one another in order to travel and get out some youthful wildness. They knew they loved one another but they both also agreed that they should take the time to explore other things and other relationships before immediately settling down into married life. This was especially true because of war that was steadily picking up speed all around them. They had both wanted to live and have fun while they still could.

His mum had went on to write about how during her magical explorations she came across an ancient text in an old bookstore in Prague. The text held a ritual on a way to travel between worlds. It had seemed completely insane to her and to Harry when he read her words. But the idea sparked something within her, and she grew obsessed with discovering if there might be some truth to the ritual. She studied the ritual in depth, learning all that she could about the theories of other universes and worlds. It was only when she had learned all that she could, and was confident that she could travel to a new world and back again that she decided to try the ritual in question. His mother seemed very much like Hermione in that way.

To her utter delight the ritual had worked, and his mum wrote about how she ended up in another world, in a country called Essos. She had written long detailed notes all about the city-states of Essos and the people that lived there. It was equal parts alike and different from medieval Earth. His mum had spent nearly two years in this other world, traveling and learning all there was to know. There was magic in Essos, and its neighboring countries. Not like the kind on Earth but magic all the same. Magical animals had also once lived there and his mum wrote about people who had used dragons to conquer nations, and wolves as big as horses.

Harry found himself utterly captivated by his mother's stories and descriptions. The thought of another world was incredible to him, and he had eagerly read all about his mother's adventures. He completely forgotten about the part where she had needed to tell him some deep dark secret that was until she got to the part about the man she'd met there.

At first he'd been angry that she would have left him a journal where she had written about a relationship she'd had with another man in some other world. He knew his mum and dad had already agreed they could date other people during their separation. It was still strange to read about his mum go on about another man. However, his anger soon faded away to utter shock when she wrote that she had fallen pregnant from this other man.

She hadn't realized she was even pregnant until her and this man had gone their separate ways. His mum had decided to come back to her own world. She had realized that even though she enjoyed her time with the other man and loved him. She loved his dad more, and knew she wanted to marry him.

His mum had returned home, and told his dad everything. They had each had other relationships while apart but they had only served to prove that they truly loved one another. James was more than willing to raise her child as his own.

It was those words that had Harry rearing back in shock. He had to reread them five more times before they sank in. If he wasn't James's biological child then this other man his mum had met in this other world was his biological father.

His belief was confirmed when he read the note at the end. It was a passage written directly to him unlike the rest of the journal. She stated plainly that the man she had met in a city called Braavos was his biological father. She explained that she had never told Harry's biological father about him. They had gone their separate ways by the time she even knew she was pregnant, and then she had decided to leave that world entirely. But she wrote that she was certain Harry's biological father would have loved him as much as she and James had. Apparently Harry's biological father had gotten around quite a bit, and Harry had three half sisters from three different mothers. His father was raising all three daughters on his own.

Finally his mum left him detailed instructions on the ritual on how to reach this other world. She told him his father's name, where he was from, and gave him a map on how to find him. She reiterated that she had waited until his eighteenth birthday to give him the letter because she had wanted to make sure he was completely finished with his magical education, and old enough to make a levelheaded decision as to whether or not he wanted to go meet his biological father.

Harry ran his hands down his face. His mind was racing. He couldn't quite believe this was true. But other parts of his mind were telling him how much sense it made.

Ever since he had entered the wizarding world people were constantly telling him how he looked just like his father with his mother's eyes. Harry had always been proud to hear it because his parents were heroes. He had wanted to be like them so much. But then he'd gotten that photo album from Hagrid. At first he'd just been so excited to finally get to _see_ his parents that he hadn't noticed.

In fact it wasn't until his third year that he had taken the time to really study the pictures of his parents. He'd wanted to take a better look after all of the conversations he'd had with Remus Lupin about his parents. He'd taken a closer look at the pictures with older, wiser eyes eager to really take note of their similarities. What he found was surprising.

Without question he had his mum's eyes. They also had similar cheekbones and chins. He had black hair like his dad, and his hair was messy but only because it was a wild tangle of curls. It didn't stick up in the way that his dad's did in the photos. But he certainly wasn't his spitting image like everyone kept going on about. In fact Harry didn't look much like his dad at all. It had seemed odd to Harry to notice that both of his parents had light skin. Sure, his dad had a bit of a tan but it wasn't the golden brown of Harry's. Harry had a bit of a widow's peak, and his nose had a slight curve to it.

Those were features he couldn't quite place as belonging to either parent. He knew no one looked exactly like their parents. But certainly there had to have been something that marked him as similar to his dad. In the end he decided they must have come from the Potter side of the family. After all he was very familiar with Aunt Petunia's features, and had seen pictures of his maternal grandparents.

He hadn't thought much about it after that. He hadn't wanted to. There were far too many other things going on his life to worry over such a manner detail as that. For example those revelations had come at a time when everyone was certain that Sirius was a madman out to kill him.

It did make him wonder if Sirius or Remus had ever known about his true parentage. His mum hadn't said. But he thought they might have. The two of them were perhaps the only ones who had never remarked about how much he looked like his dad. Remus did tell him he had his mother's eyes. They were close too his dad not to notice that the older Harry got the less and less he looked like James Potter.

Now he knew why he didn't look anything like his dad. James Potter wasn't his father. He would forever be his dad but the man wasn't his biological father. Some Don Juan in another world was his biological father, and Harry really wasn't quite sure what to feel about that.

Harry wanted to shut himself away after finding all of this out. The floo call from Molly Weasley made him realize that he couldn't.

"Where are you, Harry dear? Dinner is ready. I've made your favorite dessert," came Mrs. Weasley's voice from the fire.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley, I lost track of time. I'll be right there," he assured.

He carefully tucked away his mum's letter and journal. He straightened his clothes, and stepped through the fire. Luckily he'd gotten a little better at floo travel and didn't end up flat on his face when he stepped through the fireplace into the Weasley's living room.

"Surprise!" came the shout.

Harry startled as he stared at the room full of people. He had been expecting just George, Ginny, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley at dinner tonight. Instead there was Hermione, Ron, Neville, Luna, Hagrid, Andromeda Tonks, and his little godson Teddy Lupin.

He laughed at the sight of all of them. Someone let off some fireworks.

"George!" Mrs. Weasley growled right on cue.

"Thank you everyone," Harry smiled widely.

Hermione flew at him, enveloping him in a tight hug.

"We couldn't exactly miss your birthday, mate," Ron thumped him on the back.

Harry smiled at his friends grateful to have them.

The party quickly kept his mind off of the discovery he had just recently made. They had dinner, and dessert before playing a quick game of Quidditch. He opened gifts with Teddy curled in his arms, and thanked all of his friends for being there.

Towards the end of the evening he slipped out the front door, and took a moment to be alone admiring the night sky.

He thought he had been hiding how distracted he was rather well. But he should have known better. He could never quite hide something from Hermione.

"What's wrong, Harry?" she asked him.

"Everything is fine, Hermione," Harry feigned nonchalance.

"No it's not, something's happened. Something that's upset you. I can't imagine what it could be, however. Is it Ginny? Knowing she's dating someone else?" she frowned in concern.

"Merlin, no. I'm happy for her, finding someone who loves like she deserves," Harry assured.

"Have you found someone yet?" Hermione quirked an eyebrow.

"No," Harry laughed.

He'd gone on a couple of casual dates in the last month but nothing noteworthy.

"Then what's on your mind? Something serious for you to be out here brooding on your birthday," Hermione smirked.

"Have you ever thought about other worlds, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"I've briefly considering the idea. There are even some old texts in the library at Hogwarts that postulate the possibility of such a thing," Hermione nodded, frowning in confusion. She was thrown off by Harry's sudden question.

"What would you do if you knew that it was the truth, that there were other worlds, other universes out there completely different from our own? What if you had a way to get there?" Harry asked.

"I would love to explore them, it would be fascinating to study the magic there if there even was magic there," Hermione looked thoughtful. "But what does this have to do with anything? What brought all of this on, Harry? You've never been one to think about such things."

"James Potter isn't my biological father," Harry sighed.

Actually saying the words out loud made it all so much more real. It wasn't something he could ignore if there was another living person who knew the truth.

The shocked expression on Hermione's face was priceless.

"Oh, Harry, are you sure?" concern was written over every inch of her face.

"Very sure, my mum wrote me a letter to tell me about it in the event that something happened to her. It was delivered today. Her journal about her time traveling in another world was with it," Harry explained.

Hermione gasped at what he said. With another sigh the whole story came spilling out of his mouth. Hermione's eyes grew larger and brighter as he told her the story. She was equal parts sympathetic about the news he had received and utterly amazed at the discovery his mum had made.

By the end of it, they were sitting side by side on an old bench by the Weasley's gnome overrun garden.

"So what will you do now?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know. I have the ritual on how to get there and how to get back. I could go if I wanted. But why should I?" Harry shrugged.

"Besides the chance to meet your biological father? It could be a wonderful experience to see this world. The way your mother described it sounds amazing. There is so much we could learn," Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Why should I bother? There's enough for me here. And I don't need to meet my biological father. James Potter was my dad, I don't need to meet this man my mum had a casual fling with," Harry muttered.

"Oh, I see," Hermione nodded.

"See what?" Harry demanded.

"You're upset with your mum, James, and this stranger who you now share half your DNA with," Hermione explained.

"Of course I'm upset! How could she do that? How could she have some relationship with this man when she said she loved my dad?" Harry cried.

"Sometimes love is more complicated. Sometimes you need to meet other people, and try other relationships before you realize just how much you love someone," Hermione offered.

"I know. I just, I can't help but be angry. With both of them," Harry stood.

"The perfect image you've always held of your parents was broken. It's going to take a while for you to come to terms with this new perception of them. They weren't perfect they were human. But it doesn't change their love for you or their sacrifice," Hermione assured him.

She laid a hand on his shoulder. Harry felt a rush of warmth for her. She truly was the sister he'd never had, and he could always count on her to put things in perspective for him.

"Thanks, Hermione," Harry gave her the smallest of smiles.

"We can talk about it more later. Come on, I think George's starting a game with those new Exploding Snap cards of his," Hermione beckoned him back towards the house.

"This should be interesting," Harry allowed himself to be drawn back towards the rambunctious laughter from inside the house.

He'd think more about the ramifications of his mum's letter another. Right now he just wanted to enjoy his birthday and being reunited with his closest friends.


	2. The Decision

**Chapter 2: An Uncomfortable Decision**

Three weeks had passed since his birthday. He'd sat down with Hermione and Ron a few days after his birthday to tell Ron about the letter from him mum. His red haired friend had taken the knowledge as well as Hermione had. He was shocked but he was more concerned about Harry's reaction to the information. Ron really had come a long way from the boy he had once been.

Harry was just happy to have the support of his friends. They were more than willing to talk to him about it but they also hadn't insisted on bringing it up all the time. Hermione had only asked to look at the ritual his mum had left behind so that she could study it.

Over the last few weeks Harry had come to terms with the idea of not being the biological child of James Potter. He had come to terms that his parents had other relationships before they had gotten married. They weren't this picture perfect people he had believed since stepping foot in the wizarding world. The important part was that they were just as brave as he had always been told, and they had loved him unconditionally. They had given their lives for his without a moment of hesitation.

Harry considered briefly how his change in parentage would have affected the prophecy. But he didn't let it consume him. Voldemort was dead. The prophecy, whether true or not, was completed. Harry wouldn't ever have to worry about it again.

Coming to terms with his parents meant that his mind inevitably turned to thoughts of his biological father, and the world he lived in. He tried not to think about his father or the other world. Harry didn't want to think about them. He had a perfectly good life and wonderful friends in the world he lived in now. There was absolutely no reason for him to leave it all behind to go gallivanting off into an unknown world just to meet a stranger he happened to share DNA with.

However, as much as he didn't want to think about it was inevitable that his thoughts all eventually led back to it. How could he possibly stop thinking about other worlds? Especially when he had nothing else to occupy his time at the moment.

Hogwarts wouldn't start for another week and a half. Not that he planned on attending. Hogwarts would always be his home but going back to there would bring up too many memories. Besides schoolwork had never been Harry's strong suit. It would be too difficult to get back into the swing of sitting through classes and writing essays after a year on the run. Honestly, Harry was afraid that Hogwarts wouldn't be the same without Voldemort waiting in the wings to kill him or without those who'd lost their lives to the madman.

Auror Training was set to start a week after Hogwarts started. Ron was going to do it. Everyone who had fought in the Battle of Hogwarts had been guaranteed a place in the department by the new Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. Shacklebolt had already sent a couple of owls to Harry to make sure he would be joining.

The idea didn't just appeal to him the way it had back in his fifth year. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life tracking down petty criminals or murderers. Harry actually wanted to enjoy himself. He wouldn't mind a touch of danger either. Nothing life threatening but he did want something to challenge him. He wanted to do something fun and exciting and different.

He just didn't know what that thing was.

Harry still didn't know what that thing was a week and half later when they had a small end of summer party.

Harry had invited a bunch of friends over to Grimmauld Place. The mood was boisterous, and full of celebration. The entire mood of the wizarding world in general was more cheerful now that Voldemort was dead, and all of his remaining Death Eaters were locked away.

Harry chatted with a lot of his classmates who hadn't seen since the Battle of Hogwarts. It was interesting to learn that most of them were already working on their future goals. Harry felt completely rudderless in comparison as he had no idea what direction to take in his life.

Voldemort had been such a huge shadow hanging over his life for so long, now that he was gone Harry didn't know what to do with himself. Seeing the clear paths his friends were taking made it this feeling even more pronounced. Many of them had already gotten jobs or apprenticeships. Others were going back to Hogwarts to complete their education since last year had been a joke. Some were even attempting to open their own shops or start their own businesses.

"Maybe I should just become an Auror," Harry sighed.

He and Ron were sitting next to one another on the couch, drinking some fire whiskey. The newest Celestina Warbeck song was playing, and people were dancing.

"That's what I've been saying, Harry. It'll be just like the old times. We'll be top of the Auror department in no time," Ron enthused.

"Right, just like the old times," Harry mumbled.

He couldn't find it within himself to be quite as enthused at the thought as Ron clearly was. Of course Ron was still his best friend, and he enjoyed spending time with Ron and Hermione both. But there was that itch nagging at him from the back of his mind. He didn't just want to do the same old thing. Maybe it stemmed from the knowledge that his mum had explored another world, or maybe it was the fact that he himself had never been out of England or Scotland.

There was so much more out there to see.

"What will be just like the old times?" Hermione asked as she dropped to sit beside Ron.

"Harry's going to join the Auror training with me," Ron grinned.

"Really?" Hermione looked at Harry with raised eyebrows.

"I said 'maybe'," Harry stressed.

"What? What else are you going to do if not become an Auror? You'd be perfect for it," Ron cried.

"You're certainly good at defensive and offensive magic but…" Hermione trailed off, eyeing Harry.

"But what?" Harry asked.

"You just don't seem happy about the thought of joining," Hermione regarded.

Harry sighed, and looked away. "I don't know what else to do."

"Then come back to Hogwarts or just spend some time on your own. Think about it, there's no rush," Hermione assured him.

"I just feel like the only one who has no idea what to do with their lives. I'm the Savior of the Wizarding World. Where am I supposed to go from there?" Harry fiddled with his wand.

Before returning the Elder Wand to Dumbledore's tome he'd used it to fix his original holly. Harry was grateful to have it back.

"Maybe you should consider going to your father's world?"

Hermione's sudden suggestion had Harry freezing.

"I already told you, I don't really care if I meet him or not," Harry shrugged, and he meant it.

"You don't have to meet him but maybe exploring that world will give you a chance to find yourself. It will give you clarity, and help you find the path you want to take. After all you are half from that world. Maybe you need to take a look at your past before you can continue with your future," Hermione said earnestly.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Maybe she's right, mate. This whole thing with your parents, it's obviously bothering you more than you let on," Ron pointed out.

"It would be a quick trip. It's not as if you have to live there or stay there. The ritual to return home is quite simple. Ronald and I will even go with you," Hermione continued.

"Right, Hermione and I—wait, we will?" Ron's eyes widened.

"Yes, we will," Hermione glared Ron into submission.

Harry laughed.

"Right, we're a team, and we can get through anything together," Ron nodded firmly.

"I don't think I even want to go," Harry grumbled.

Although, he couldn't deny the slight spark of interest at the thought. His mum had written so much about how amazing her time in Essos was, how exciting and different. Those were the things that Harry was looking for. The question was: did he want them enough to travel to another?

"I'll think about it," was all Harry replied.

Hermione nodded, and Ron changed the subject of the conversation towards his favorite topic, the Chudley Cannons.

The next couple of weeks all Harry did was think about the possibility of traveling to Essos. Once Hermione gave a voice to his own unconscious desire he couldn't shake the idea of what it would be like to actually travel there himself.

It didn't help that all of his friends were gone, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Hermione, Ginny, and Luna were back at Hogwarts. Neville was as well. He was Professor Sprout's apprentice and would take over her position once she retired. Ron had started his Auror training, and while he was still living at home he was so busy that Harry rarely got a chance to see him.

Despite the conscious decision that he wasn't actually going to go, Harry found himself preparing for the trip anyway. He'd bought himself a seven level trunk. He packed food with preservation charms. Harry bought clothes for all occasion, and even invested in some dragon hide armor. His mum had written that Essos, and it's neighboring nation of Westeros hadn't advanced beyond using swords and wearing armor. He copied books from the Black Family library and tossed them in the trunk. Harry bought all sorts of different potions, mostly healing potions. Harry even stopped by Weasley Wizard Wheezes.

The shop was doing better than it ever had.

"If it's not my lovely benefactor," George greeted him jovially.

Harry felt a twinge of guilt for the way the smile on his face didn't quite reach his eyes. It had only been three months and despite the fact that George was doing his best to move on there was no way that he had come to terms with his twin's death.

"Hello, George, have you got anything new?" Harry winced mentally for even bothering to ask that question.

Ron had mentioned the other day that George hadn't created anything new since Fred died.

"Alas, nothing new but I've made some improvements on some of the old stuff," George waved towards the shelves.

"Right, I'll take a little bit of everything," Harry decided.

"Remember your money is no good here," George warned.

"I have to pay something," Harry argued.

"Fine, for you, no charge," George insisted.

Harry knew he wasn't going to be able to sway George any further than that.

"It's a deal," Harry agreed.

Harry ended up getting a bunch of different novelty items. Things that were both useful and amusing such as Extendable Ears. He also left a big tip in the tip jar before George realized he did it.

"Thanks George, I'll see you later," Harry waved goodbye to the redhead.

"Not later, I have a date with the lovely Angelina Johnson," George waggled his eyebrows, and for once the smile on his face reached his eyes.

Harry laughed and left the shop. He started off down the alley, intending to go back to Grimmauld Place when a sign caught his eye. It was set in the Magical Menagerie, and it was proclaiming the addition of some rare, one of a kind recently hatched snake. His interest piqued he decided to step inside, and see it for himself. Harry hadn't had the chance to test his parseltongue abilities since Voldemort's and the removal of the piece of his soul from his body.

All sorts of magical creatures stirred once Harry stepped inside. He ignored them and made his way straight towards the small terrarium containing the baby snake. Harry read the tag on the side of the tank. It was a magical African Bush Viper. It was reddish orange with brilliant golden eyes. The snake was already two and half feet long, and as thick around as Harry's wrist. Due to its magical origins it was going to be much larger than its non-magical counterparts, and its venom would be ten times more deadly.

" _Hello,_ " Harry greeted, slightly shocked when his words came out as a hiss.

It was obvious that Voldemort's soul had left some imprint on his own. It honestly didn't surprise Harry that much. After all Voldemort's soul had lived inside him for over sixteen years. It was bound to leave some impression even though it was gone. Parseltongue seemed to be one of those things. Harry found that he wasn't actually that upset about. Parseltongue was something he'd been excited to have before he found out it was considered a dark trait.

The little snake perked right up when Harry spoke to it.

" _You speak?_ " it questioned.

Harry had never heard a snake sound so childish before, and he couldn't help but find it slightly adorable.

" _I do,_ " Harry agreed.

" _You must take me home with you,_ " the little snake commanded.

Harry decided it must be male.

" _Really?_ " Harry smiled at it.

" _Yes, this cage is very stuffy, I want to go outside. Besides you're the perfect human. You'll be able to understand when I ask for something,_ " the little snake chimed.

Harry laughed. " _Are you planning to ask for quite a lot?"_

" _I don't know. I'm still just a youngling, I hardly know what I want or who I will be,_ " explained the snake.

Harry smiled at the snake. He probably should be looking to buy an owl or something. The little snake was oddly adorable with its excitable yet demanding attitude. Besides what better pet was there, than one you could speak to?

The shop owner was only too pleased to sell Harry the snake. There wasn't much interest in magical snakes these days. Harry certainly hadn't thought he'd be interested. The little snake offered him some companionship, and just because he was a snake it didn't mean he was automatically evil. That much was clearly evident with the little snake's exclamations of excitement when Harry brought him outside.

" _The sky is so blue_!" the little cried, his little head weaving excitedly from its place on Harry's shoulder as he got his first glimpse at the sky.

" _I'm glad you like it,_ " Harry gave his little head a scratch.

" _And the sun, it's so warm. I want to lay in the sun,"_ the baby snake cooed.

" _Hmm that will be your name, Sol, for the sun,"_ Harry decided.

" _Sol. I like it. I am Sol,"_ Sol proclaimed proudly.

Sol settled right in to Harry's daily routine with ease. The baby snake insisted on going everywhere wrapped around Harry's torso or arms. Sol refused to let him out of his sight, and Harry often felt more like he had purchased a child rather than a fierce viper.

Ron had nearly had a heart attack when he caught sight of Sol calmly wrapped around his shoulders.

"What you'd get a thing like that for?" Ron demanded.

"He's not a thing, he's a baby viper," Harry replied giving a quick, comforting scratch to Sol's head. He'd become quite protective of his new friend.

"That's a baby? Oi, mate, he's terrifying," Ron gaped at Sol.

"He's actually really adorable. I'm glad I'm still a parselmouth," Harry wondered how Ron would take the news.

"I suppose it makes more sense for you to have him when you're still a parselmouth. I certainly wouldn't want a snake unless I could understand him," Ron looked a little more relaxed at the news.

Harry smiled at the ease with which Ron accepted the news. The redhead was truly growing up. "I'm going to make sure he's well trained. He won't bite anyone I don't want him too."

"It would be right useful to have big snake at your beck and call," Ron agreed.

The conversation drifted to Ron's training, and the upcoming trip to Hogsmeade to meet up with their other friends. The first Hogsmeade weekend of the year was coming up, and Ron and Harry were going to use that opportunity to catch up with their friends.

A few days later Harry and Ron apparated to Hogsmeade. They met up with Hermione, Luna, Ginny, and Neville in the Three Broomsticks. They all caught up on one another's life while drinking butterbeer, and having lunch. Harry introduced them to Sol. Luna was utterly taken in by the little snake, and even held him. Hermione was more interested in him for educational purposes. Neville and Ginny weren't huge fans but didn't mind him either.

Eventually the others left, leaving Hermione, Ron, and Harry to themselves. The three went for a walk through the familiar streets of the small wizarding village. It was as if Voldemort's reign of terror had never even happened. Hermione reported that the restoration of Hogwarts was nearly complete but other than that Hogwarts was the same as it always was.

"Have you given any more thought to traveling?" Hermione asked him.

Harry knew she didn't mean traveling to another country.

"I've packed a trunk," Harry admitted. "But I don't know if I actually want to go."

"We should, we can make plans to go this summer. I know its far off but we'd certainly be prepared by then. I made a list of all the things we might need," Hermione pulled a piece of parchment from her pocket to show Harry.

Harry unfolded it and looked the list over.

"I actually got most of this stuff," Harry felt a bit proud that he'd thought of all the same things as Hermione.

"You are seriously considering doing this, aren't you?" Hermione surmised.

"No," Harry scoffed.

"Harry, you bought armor and a wizarding tent," Hermione pointed out.

"You're the one who put the thought in my head to begin with," Harry accused.

"Yes, and I still think it will be very informative," Hermione agreed.

"I think I want to go by myself," Harry blurted out.

It wasn't until the words slipped out that Harry realized just how true they were.

"By yourself?" Hermione frowned.

"I don't know, it just feels like something I should do on my own," Harry replied.

He didn't really know how to put his feelings into words. He only knew that over the past weeks while preparing when he allowed himself to picture the trip he was always alone. He loved Ron and Hermione. They were his best friends. They'd done everything together. But they were adults now. They couldn't be glued to each other's sides forever. Harry wanted a chance to prove to himself that he could be on his own.

"You don't have to do that, mate," Ron argued.

"I know but its what I want to do. You and Hermione have your whole lives here. You don't have to interrupt it for me," Harry glanced around him at the wizarding village and he wondered what the streets of Dorne looked like.

Dorne being his father's home, a place that even his mother had never visited.

"You're our friend, it wouldn't be interrupting our lives for you," Ron stated.

"We want to support you," Hermione added.

"I'll be fine," Harry insisted.

He felt even more determined than ever to go by himself with their insistences that they join him.

"If you think that's best," Hermione assented, surprised by his vehemence.

"My mum went on her own. I think I should too," Harry murmured in a softer tone.

"There's still time to change your mind. But it's your decision, whatever you want to do we'll support you. We just thought you would want some company or some help," Hermione explained.

"I need to start learning how to do things on my own. I need to become independent," Harry knew it was true.

He needed to learn how to stand on his own two feet. He knew he could always lean back on Hermione and Ron if he needed to. Now he wanted to go out on his own.

"When do you plan on going?" Ron asked.

"Soon, I think," Harry said.

"How soon?" Hermione frowned.

"Within a month or so," Harry decided.

Now that he had made his decision he didn't see any reason to delay his trip. The sooner he went the less time he would have to change his mind.

"Oh, I'll make you some more potions, and there are several survival books I can copy from the library for you. Civilization isn't quite what you're used to, and you may have to—" Hermione fretted.

"He'll be fine, Hermione," Ron cut in.

"You can panic when I actually leave," Harry grinned.

She glared at him. "I just worry about you. Both of you."

"I know and I don't know where we would be without you, Hermione," Harry told her honestly.

She blushed, looking pleased at the compliment.

"Now you and Ron go spend some time by yourselves," Harry gave them a little nudge.

"What about you, mate?" Ron looked all too ready to have some alone time with Hermione but he didn't want to leave Harry by himself.

"I'll be fine. I see Luna over there."

He waved the two of them off before walking over to join the pale haired girl. She was studiously looking at the cracks in the cobblestones. Harry smiled to the see that her ordeal at Malfoy Manor hadn't changed the girl a bit.

"What are you looking for, Luna?" he asked her.

"Snorcacks," Luna answered promptly.

"Oh, interesting," Harry nodded. "I wonder if there will be any where I'm going."

"And where are you going, Harry?" she asked, finally lifting her head to look at him.

"To another world, believe it or not."

"Another world? I believe it," Luna smiled serenely.

"I never doubted you, Luna," Harry smiled back.

"Why are you going?" she asked.

"I don't know. I suppose just to prove that I can. Or maybe its because I'm bored and I have literally no idea what I want to do with my life," Harry answered.

"I haven't decided what I want to do as a career either so I plan on traveling with my dad for a bit after graduation," Luna informed him.

"That sounds nice," Harry commented.

"You'll have a nice time on your trip as well. You'll have to keep an eye out for Horned Snorcacks while you're there," Luna warned.

"If I find any, you'll be the first to know," Harry promised.

Luna nodded, pleased. The two of them walked around a bit more before they ran into Ginny and Neville, along with a few other familiar faces from Hogwarts. He enjoyed his time with his friends as he knew it was going to be the last time he saw them for a while.

Once he was back home at Grimmauld Place he spent the next week collecting all of the ingredients for the ritual. It was actually fairly simple, which was good since it made it easy for Harry to follow.

Essentially it was like making an even stronger portkey. The initial ritual would imbibe whatever object he had chosen with the power to travel to and from the world he wanted to go to. Harry had chosen a plain gold ring. He would also need to key in a word to trigger the ring. His mother had done a general ritual in the beginning. It had just taken her to a random world. Harry would have to be careful to indicate the world he wanted to travel to. His mother had left him instructions on just how to do this.

The ring would only work once. It would bring him to Essos and back but after it would cease to work. Harry would have to make another world jumping portkey if he ever wanted to go back. But he would be able to stay as long as he wanted. He only had to say the world and he would be brought back to England. Harry just had to pick a word that he wouldn't say in a normal conversation.

He practiced the ritual over and over again. He practice the wand movements, memorized the words, and rewrote the runes until he could have done it in his sleep. He even practiced it in front of Hermione once to prove he was completely capable of the task. Once he felt confident he could perform the ritual he drew out the runes, placed the ring in the center, and began murmuring the spell.

He set the password as Lily in parseltongue. Now all he needed to do was put on the ring, and say the word. It was a daunting thought that such a small object could hold so much power.

He still put the ring on anyway. Harry wasn't going to leave just yet. Before he could leave he wanted to say his goodbyes to his friends. Only Hermione, Ron, and Luna would know where he was actually going. Everyone else just thought he was taking a trip abroad, and they wouldn't be able to reach him. Hermione had suggested bringing Sirius' mirrors with him just to see if they could work across worlds.

Harry didn't know how long he was going to spend in there. He told Hermione and Ron that he would be back in three months at the latest. Harry honestly wasn't sure if that would give him enough time to explore. This was an entirely different world that used horses to travel. Just getting from place to place was going to take a long time since he wasn't familiar with his surroundings. He could only apparate to places he had been before.

* * *

 **Please let me know if you would like to adopt this fic. My only request is that you have at least one chapter of your own written up before taking up the story. I'll take this story down once someone else adopts it.**

 **Also here are some dates I've come up with if you would like to use them:**

 **Harry arrives in the world of Game of Thrones in 298 AL**

 **Oberyn Martell – born 258 AL died 300 AL – 40 years old – Met Lily Evans in 279 AL he was 21**

 **Obara Sand – born in 272 AL – 26 years old**

 **Nymeria Sand – born 275 AL – 23 years old**

 **Tyene Sand – born 277 AL – 21 years old**

 **Harry Potter –would have been born 280 AL – 18 years old**

 **Sarella Sand – born 281 AL – 17 years old**

 **Elia Sand – born 286 AL – 12 years old**

 **Obella Sand – born 288 AL – 10 years old**

 **Dorea Sand – born 292 AL – 6 years old**

 **Loreza Sand – born 293 AL – 5 years old**


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